The House of Special Purpose
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The House of Special Purpose
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Narrated by:
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James Wilby
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By:
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John Boyne
About this listen
Brought to you by Penguin.
Russia, 1915: at the age of 16, Georgy Jachmenev steps in front of an assassin's bullet intended for the heart of a senior member of the Russian imperial family. He is instantly proclaimed a hero. Before the week is out, his life as the son of a peasant farmer is changed forever when he is escorted to St Petersburg to take up his new position - as bodyguard to Alexei Romanov, the only son of Tsar Nicholas II.
Sixty-five years later, visiting his wife, Zoya, as she lies dying in a London hospital, memories of the life they have lived together flood his mind. Their marriage, while tender, has been marked by tragedy, the loss of loved ones and experiences of exile that neither can forget.
The House of Special Purpose is a novel about a young man ripped from a loving home and thrust into the heart of a dying empire. Privy to the secrets of Nicholas and Alexandra, the machinations of Rasputin and the events which led to the final collapse of the autocracy, Georgy is a witness and participant in a drama which will echo down the century. His is also a story of a marriage in which a husband finds it impossible to live in the present and a wife unable to reconcile herself with the past.
Part love story, part historical epic, part tragedy, the novel moves from revolutionary St Petersburg to Paris after the First World War, and from London during the Blitz to the eastern coast of Finland during the 1980s, before returning to a quiet hospital bed where Georgy and Zoya's story must finally be resolved.
©2020 John Boyne (P)2020 Penguin AudioWhat listeners say about The House of Special Purpose
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Blossominoz
- 23-08-2023
A beautiful love story
I had no expectations, but was mesmerised by the storytelling. A story to fill a blank which has been speculated about for many years. A work of fiction that you wish may be true. Brilliantly written to bring the story alive.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 07-01-2021
Wonderfully narrated!
Beautiful narration .
Sweeping Epic tale .
Would make a wonderful movie - a landscape of people and places and relationships and history
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Karina Mereki
- 27-10-2022
A brilliant story
Loved this audio book, from start to finish!
So good was the narrator, with all his Russian accents, that it felt like I was at the movies, with real actors in my head. Just brilliant.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sat Nav
- 02-01-2024
Wow wow wow
A beautiful story told beautifully. Exquisite book, exquisite story, exquisite narration. John Boyne is one of my favourite authors.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gill Ryan
- 11-05-2024
Compelling book
Absolutely superbly read.James Wilby is a great voice for John Boynes books and it was not an easy one to read.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 06-06-2023
Too Much
Absolute nonsense!!
But good story telling!
That’s it mr Boyne / no more!
Embellished fairy tales
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